Pumpkin Beer

On the topic of fall beers, the pumpkin beer craze has already began. Pretty soon everyone is going to be talking about pumpkin beer, all the bars will have on on draft, the leaves will change and the big debate will be which pumpkin beer is the best.

Well I have the answer to that debate: None of them. Pumpkin beers are terrible. I’m willing to go out on a limb and say it. All pumpkin beers suck. End of story.

Think about it, what does a pumpkin taste like? Mildly nutty at best. What does a pumpkin taste like really? Butter, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar. In other words, the “pumpkin” taste is really nothing more than what is added. So really you’re not drinking a pumpkin beer, you’re drinking a pumpkin pie beer. A real “pumpkin” beer, I would venture to guess, would mean nothing other than maybe a little added body, maybe a vague nuttiness. But really, its more like having a tofu beer. As far as I know, a “pumpkin” beer doesn’t exist. The only thing you’ll find is pie flavored beer.

No thanks. Give me a porter, a stout, an oktoberfest, hell, give me even a cider. I’ll leave the pumpkin beers to the fruit wheat beer crowd.

okay, i’m with you on this pumpkin beer thing. and i think we have even talked about it! but, leave us fruit wheat beer drinkers out of it! i love me some stawberry wheat lbc but you won’t find me within ten feet of a pumpkin pie brew! ha!

I agree; I was just talking to Amie about this actually. Although, I’m also not the biggest Oktoberfest fan. Do you have any easily-found recommendations that might sway me? I don’t think Stoudts’ or Victory’s are anything to write home about.

The Southern Tier Pumking is pretty alright. To echo Scott the Smuttynose is also good. Which have tried? The Post Road by Brooklyn has more of that pumpkiness going on. Anyway. . . I’ve had somewhere around 10 different this season, and have lost track. But, the Southern Tier and Smuttynose stand out.